DECEMBER 2018 OBSERVING Lunar Almanac Northern Hemisphere Sky Chart North γ δ Di g Bi er pp SA R UR JO A M β α Fa θ ci n g N M8 E 1 Moon's limb is tipped the most toward Earth by libration. M8 2 N ASA / LRO L Y N Polaris X α LIS Double Cluster ID 361,062 km Diameter 33′ 06″ UT FAVORABLE LIBRATIONS * Abel Crater December 10 * Lavoisier E Crater December 22 * Ulugh Beigh Crater December 23 * Hagecius Crater December 25 DECE MBE R 2 018 * SK Y & TELESCOPE g n December 24, α ci Perigee 60° R A πC N eti U τ S η C E T U S -20° Fa 10h ε Diameter 29′ 29″ 3 405,177 km 1 2 3 4 M3 β γ December 12, 12h UT M E 0 Apogee LU α -1 09:34 UT DISTANCES 42 S 17:49 UT α l ma l θ γ δ E TA U R U S Aldebaran trix Bella β Rige December 29 Mira PISCE ο U December 22 α ε β η γ E Q U A T O R P LE α LAST QUARTER OPEIA RS ζ εθ α γ β M De oon c1 8 α 11:49 UT FULL MOON DA ι ζ λ N IO OR δ ε M42 07:20 UT α se lgeu ζ December 15 κ December 7 β n oo 22 M ec D Bete MONOCEROS NGC 2244 FIRST QUARTER R PA GA γ h 7 Facing East NEW MOON GU 31 IC IAN 30 T β 29 γ TR 28 M 27 S 26 P Ha 25 I 34 24 L IE 23 C γ 22 R 21 A 20 ρ 19 l 18 Alg o 17 β 16 E α 15 PE 14 δ 13 Pleiades 12 US 11 ε 10 LO C 9 ε 8 ape lla 7 Hyades 6 RI 5 M38 M36 4 M37 3 M3 5 2 AU θ α 1 β IN I S AT FRI THU ME GE M WED +80° r TUE CA sto α β MOON PHASES MON ο Ca Pol lux 25 A OR December 10 SUN ε 10 h 22 23 h D G Va oub ala Op arbialb lests yxy e a D n G iff ecn lests trar Pl lob use luclsut atrar se an ul en et ar beub trer clu lual ar a y ne tsetre Yellow dots indicate bu r la which part of the Planet location shown for mid-month SE USING THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE MAP Go out within an hour of a time listed to the right. Turn the map around so the yellow label for the direction you're facing is at the bottom. That's the horizon. The center of the map is overhead. Ignore the parts of the map above horizons you're not facing. 4h FO RN AX α -40° PHO 1 Facing